Israel defies Turkey on Gaza aid ship deaths

ISRAEL’S prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said yesterday he would not apologise to Turkey over an Israeli raid that killed nine Turks on a ship bound for Gaza, reiterating his position after Ankara downgraded its relations with Israel.

Turkey froze all military pacts with Israel, expelled the Israeli ambassador and threatened legal sanctions after a UN report on the May 2010 raid failed to trigger an Israeli apology.

The report said that Israel had used unreasonable force in the raid of the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara, but added that pro-Palestinian activists onboard mounted organised and violent resistance.